County OKs name change from Lost Coon to Lost Loon Lake
HEIDI DESCH | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 years, 1 month AGO
The name of Lost Coon Lake near Whitefish will be changed to Lost Loon Lake. (Whitefish Pilot)
DEPUTY EDITOR, FEATURES Heidi Desch is the Deputy Editor at the Daily Inter Lake, overseeing coverage of arts, culture, lifestyle, community, and business. Desch leads reporters in developing stories that highlight the people, traditions, and events shaping Northwest Montana, guiding content across print and digital platforms. With more than 20 years of journalism experience, including serving as managing editor of the Whitefish Pilot, Desch is a graduate of the University of Montana School of Journalism. She has received multiple Montana Newspaper Association awards, including part of the team leading the Daily Inter Lake to Best Daily Newspaper in Montana Award and the General Excellence Award in 2024 and 2025. IMPACT: Heidi’s work connects readers with stories that deepen the understanding of the community beyond daily news. | May 14, 2021 12:00 AM
The Flathead County commissioners last week gave their OK to change the name of a lake located near Whitefish that contains a racial slur.
A Flathead County District Court judge last year ruled in favor of granting a petition to rename the lake to Lost Loon Lake. The city of Whitefish, on behalf of property owners around the lake, filed a petition with the court seeking to change the name from its current designation of Lost Coon Lake.
That petition has now made its way to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, which reached out to the county commissioners asking for their recommendation on renaming the lake.
The Board of Geographic Names is responsible for standardizing the geographic names for use by the federal government and accepts proposals affecting the official names of geographic features.
In an email from BGN representatives to the county, BGN says because it places importance on local opinion when it votes on a proposal it asks for the recommendations from local governments that might have an interest in the proposal.
The commissioners unanimously voted to recommend the proposed name.
The name Lost Loon Lake comes because loons have returned to the lake in the last few years after Whitefish Lake Golf Club placed a nesting platform on the lake to encourage the birds to establish there.
“Locals and visitors alike consider the name Lost Coon Lake extremely offensive, as its history and meaning are easily discovered,” the city wrote in its petition to district court seeking the name change.
Neighbors around the lake and others in the community have been working on and off for several years on the effort to rename the lake. About 20 property owners on the lake and the golf club signed onto the petition to change the name.
The lake is roughly 61 acres in size and does not have public access.
The history of the name of the lake is difficult to pinpoint.
According to the book “Stump Town to Ski Town” on the history of Whitefish, it was originally called “N----r Lake.”
An article in the Pilot in February 1964 says the name of the lake was to be changed to Lodgepole Pond after polling property owners because the lake had no official name on maps.
An article in the Daily Inter Lake in 1984, however, reported an account that a developer changed the name to Lost Coon Lake.
ARTICLES BY HEIDI DESCH
Whitefish City Council set to approve draft budget
Whitefish City Council on Monday is poised to approve a $63.4 million preliminary budget for fiscal year 2027.
Whitefish considers annexation for land on south entrance
Whitefish City Council on Monday will decide whether to annex about 18 acres of land on the south entrance of the city.
Senior Spotlight: Glacier High School student looks to use science to help others
Knowing she wanted to help others, there was a time when Anitha Ravipati considered pursuing a career as a medical doctor. But applying her science acumen during an internship last summer opened the possibility of assisting through research.